1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for lifting and moving pressurized tanks and more particularly relates to a compact apparatus for lifting and moving heavy pressurized oxygen tanks to assist in their installation in and removal from EMS response vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Pressurized oxygen cylinders are standard equipment onboard most ambulances and other EMS response vehicles. Most of the pressurized cylinders used are made from either aluminum or steel. Though a lightweight material, an empty aluminum pressurized oxygen cylinder can weigh over one hundred pounds. Steel cylinders are heavier yet.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have a standard which sets limits on how much a person may lift or carry. However, a sister agency, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), has developed a mathematical model which helps predict the risk of injury based on the weight being lifted and accounts for many confounding factors. The model is based on previous medical research into the compressive forces needed to cause damage to bones and ligaments of the back.
NIOSH has shown through research that a lifting index greater than 3.0 can clearly be linked to an increased risk of back and other injuries. In applying the NIOSH equation for calculating a lifting index, an EMS worker lifting a one hundred pound pressurized oxygen tank from the floor and stowing it in a compartment of an ambulance would likely encounter a lifting index of 3.9 or higher. A heavier tank would increase this number even more. Because of this, a single EMS worker attempting to lift and move such a cylinder faces a significant risk of back injury.
Cylinder storage compartments onboard EMS vehicles tend to be quite small, some barely larger than the cylinders themselves. These cramped spaces further compound the dangers faced by an EMS worker faced with the task of changing out cylinders. Because the spaces are so small, only one worker can realistically fit within the compartment to manipulate the cylinders.
Potential back injury is not the only possible hazard associated with pressurized tanks. The cylindrical shape makes them difficult to grasp and awkward to handle by a single person. However, due to the cramped compartment in which they are stored, only one person can realistically be expected to handle the cylinders. Thus, a real danger exists that a pressurized cylinder being handled could fall from a vehicle unexpectedly. If the cylinder were to strike an object with the exposed valve, the cylinder might rupture. A ruptured cylinder can explode with tremendous force or even become a missile that can cause significant damage to anything it impacts.